Current Chase Points Standings and Drivers Points Standings without the Chase after each race

Kevin Harvick Wins 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship: In a storybook finish to conclude a revamped Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, #4-Kevin Harvick won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday to claim his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. To win the title, Harvick needed to finish ahead of his fellow Championship 4 - and a win was the only way that would've happened. #31-Ryan Newman finished second, #11-Denny Hamlin finished seventh and #22-Joey Logano ended the night in 16th.
After finishing a career-best third in the standings in three of the last four seasons, the 14-year series mainstay finally broke through for the premier series title in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing. A veteran of all three of NASCAR's national series, Harvick joins Bobby Labonte and Brad Keselowski as the third driver to win both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series crowns. Harvick, 38, is the 30th champion in the 66-year history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
The #4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevy driver showed off his speed throughout 2014, pacing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led and poles. Following a two-win regular season, Harvick entered the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as its No. 6 seed. He adeptly navigated his way through the Chase's Challenger and Contender Rounds highlighted by his victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but would still be searching for a championship without his clutch performance in the Eliminator Round cutoff race at Phoenix International Raceway.
Entering the penultimate showdown at the one-mile tri-oval last among Chase qualifiers, Harvick needed a win at Phoenix to advance to the Championship 4. He responded to the pressure by leading 264-of-312 laps and beating four-time series champion Jeff Gordon on his way to Victory Lane. The Bakersfield, California, native carried his momentum to Homestead, becoming the first title-winner under NASCAR's new playoff format.
Harvick's championship is the second for Stewart-Haas Racing. The racing outfit jointly owned by three-time premier series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas won its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title behind the driving efforts of Stewart in 2011. #4 team crew chief Rodney Childers, also in his first season with SHR, won his first series crown as well.(NASCAR)(11-16-2014)

The Four drivers eliminated from Chase...comments:#5-Kasey Kahne:DESCRIBE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING AFTER JUST MISSING MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE CHASE BY THREE POINTS:
"You just try and get the best finish you can. Basically the restart before, they all checked up in front of me so I went high to get momentum and that didn't work. I don't know why that didn't work, but it didn't. Anyways, I'm in 20th and got back to 11th. It was tough if you weren't in the top few spots. Once we were up there early on we could race. We had a great Farmer's Insurance Chevy - led laps and ran in the top-three and back to the lead. Once I was 10th or eighth, it was just really difficult to get back to that point. I think we got back to fifth or sixth, but that was about it."(Chevy Racing)#18-Kyle Busch:
Busch's crew chief Dave Rogers talked to the media:How hard did the team work to try to advance to the next round following the accident?
"My hats off to all these guys -- everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and everyone at TRD (Toyota Racing Development). It's a shame, everyone has been working really hard. I felt like we got off to a slow start early in the season and we were advancing through the playoffs pretty well with hard work and good decisions and good teamwork. The team was performing really well and working extremely hard. I thought we were in a decent spot coming into the race and rode around in the back. Kyle (Busch) got checked up for the wreck and had everything saved up, but he got run over from behind. There is no safe place in here. Everyone, every time we come to a speedway everyone will strategize -- we're going to ride in the back, we're going to ride in the front, we're going to do this. The truth is that if you're out there on the race track at Talladega or Daytona, you have a pretty good chance that you're going to get in a wreck and today was our day."How did Kyle Busch react?
"I can't praise him (Kyle Busch) enough. He's really stepped up to be a great leader of this race team in the Chase. We've had a couple things go against us -- getting the nose knocked off at Loudon, today and Kyle's done a really good job of biting his lip and just backing the race team to let us do our job. Kyle, I can't say enough good about him. I'm really proud of him. It's been a lot of fun working with him and we're not done yet. We can't win the championship, but we can still advance in points and work our way up to fifth. We're going to go to Martinsville working hard and we're going to try to win all these races."(Toyota Racing PR)#48-Jimmie Johnson:TALK ABOUT YOUR EMOTIONS:
"It feels relieving to go down swinging. The last two weeks were really poor. At least we went down swinging. I'll take some pride in that."YOU'LL GO INTO THE FINALE WITHOUT HAVING A CHANCE OF WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
"The last I can think of is with Carl (Edwards) and Tony (Stewart). I vividly remembered the lunch presser that took place with the champions and how much that ate at me to watch it on TV and not be a part of it. I get the pleasure of going through that again. Today I went down swinging, and I take pride in that. Am I disappointed in our Chase? Absolutely. In the last two weeks, people have tuned on the radio and there have been plenty of articles have been written this week. Frustration was high between Chad (Knaus, crew chief) and I and the fact that we haven't been able to produce like we wanted to. Today we went down swinging. We had a chance and came up short. We have to make the best of '15. We have a chance to finish fifth in points, which would mean the world to me. The worst I've finished is sixth in the points, so it's not time to put our feet up. We need to finish strong and try to be in the top-five."HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THIS RACE TODAY?
"Two restarts from the end, I was trying to make something happen on the restart. I was in a weird position there behind the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski), and if I pushed him to the win, he moves on and I don't. So I tried going to his outside. I looked up and I had no friends in the mirror. If I had known we were going to have a second green-white-checker, I would have stayed in line. That would have shuffled the order around and I wouldn't have been behind him, and maybe we would have had another shot at it. We had a fast, fast Lowe's Chevrolet today. Disappointed we didn't advance, but truthfully the way the last two races went, today was an opportunity for us, and we were kind of playing with house money and just didn't get it done."CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF NOT GOING TO THE NEXT ROUND?
"Truthfully, I showed up this weekend thinking I've been playing with house money and I've had a very unique opportunity to advance. In any Chase, after two bad races like we had the last two weeks, you wouldn't have a shot at the championship. So, the frustration was kind of peaking over the last two weeks. This week's been chill. We qualified second and ran up front all day. And it's so hard to win one of these races. You can't come in here and say you're doing to dominate Talladega and win the race. We dominated it. We just didn't lead the lap that counted."(Chevy Racing PR)#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr:TELL US ABOUT YOUR AFTERNOON AND WHAT ULTIMATELY HAPPENED OUT THERE?
"I still really don't know. I haven't had a chance to look at it. Got with the #16 (Greg Biffle) a little bit. I don't know if I came down on him or what it. I thought I was holding my line, but we were all kind of tight back there."INCREDIBLE SEASON, BUT NOW HEARTBREAK, DESCRIBE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW:
"The race is over, it's time to go home."ON THE RACE IN GENERAL
"We worked real hard all day long trying to run up front. I knew we needed to be up front all day long. We got shuffled to the back. I made a move trying to get up front and it didn't work out. So, we lost a lot of track position and never got it back."WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NOT MOVING ON IN THE CHASE?
"Well we will just go try to win some more races before the year is out. That is all we have left."(Chevy Racing PR)(10-20-2014)

The Four drivers eliminated from Chase...what happened: Four drivers fell by the wayside in NASCAR's first ever Chase elimination race at Dover International Speedway. #47-AJ Allmendinger, #41-Kurt Busch, #16-Greg Biffle and #43-Aric Almirola failed to advance to the three-race Contender Round, which will eliminate three more of the 12 remaining drivers after races at Kansas, Charlotte and Talladega. Here's a look at what doomed the four who failed to survive:AJ Allmendiger: Allmendinger came to Dover 10th in the standings thanks to his 13th-place finish last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But starting 28th didn't help the chances of the #47 Chevrolet, which finished 23rd. Midway through Sunday's race, Allmendinger was one point behind Kurt Busch, two points ahead of Biffle and seven points ahead of eventual qualifier #5-Kasey Kahne for the final transfer spot. After falling a lap down 45 laps into the race, Allmendinger caught a break when #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. kissed the wall on Lap 75, enabling him to get a free pass back to the lead lap. But Allmendinger remained on the outside-looking-in, two points behind the battle between Kahne and Busch for much of the final 60 laps. He eventually overtook Busch, but sitting 13th in the standings was of little consolation this week. "It was an awful day. I'm not going to take a moral victory out of it to miss by two points," Allmendinger said. "It's disappointing. But we didn't deserve to be in (the Chase) with the run that we had. We know (the JTG Daugherty team) is making steps in the right direction. We kept throwing the kitchen sink at it every stop. My crew chief, Brian Burns, did everything he could to keep trying to make it better. We just missed it all weekend."Kurt Busch: Busch entered the race eight points out of a transfer spot and knew he had his work cut out for him after his 36th-place showing at New Hampshire wiped out the benefits of his eighth-place finish in the Chase opener at Chicago. Busch, whose car was tight early on, had managed only eight top-10 finishes in his previous 28 Cup starts at Dover and had struggled to find speed in practice. Midway through the race, Busch, who had started 22nd, was running 11th and had advanced from 15th to 12th in the ever-shifting Chase standings. But as the race wore on, Busch's advantage wore off. He slipped to an 18th-place finish and 14th in the standings, six points behind the 12th and final qualifier #5-Kasey Kahne. "It was just tight the last 100 miles," Busch said. "I felt like we were in good position to advance, but you just can't expect to advance by running 18th. You have to be more competitive. You've got to have better lap times every time you go and hit the track. We put this team together pretty late. (Co-owner) Gene Haas has believed in me to come in here. If you're off, it's hard to put the car up on your back and run it. (But) I just chalk it up to me not getting the job done. It's all my fault. We don't get to advance to the championship but we can still run for pride and run for wins."Greg Biffle: Biffle came into Sunday six points out of 12th place but didn't help himself with a 27th starting spot. His Roush Fenway Racing Ford made headway early, moving up 13 positions, but couldn't maintain momentum. It's been a frustrating season for Biffle, who has gone 50 races since his last victory and has been no better than 10th in any of his last seven starts - including his 23rd at Chicagoland and 16th at New Hampshire that created his unmanageable position. "I've won races my whole career, but to be struggling like this all year is disappointing at best," Biffle said. "Part of you wants to just pull it, put (the car) in the garage, while the other half of you is racing as hard as you can to get in the Chase. This is the way it's gone all season. We're just searching for speed and (we) struggled all day. We've worked hard, trying to fix our problems, but it just hasn't come together yet."Aric Almirola: Richard Petty Motorsports thought it had a legitimate shot at Dover, where its cars had shown decent speed in the past. But the iconic #43 failed to mount a challenge. Starting 21st, Almirola went a lap down early in the race, slipped to 28th and never recovered. He finished three laps down and 18 points out of 12th place. "It just didn't work out for us. I hate it," Almirola said. "We picked a bad day to run the way we did and we can't blame anybody but ourselves. My car didn't have any grip. You can't go fast without grip. Right now, it's pretty disappointing."(NASCAR Wire Service)(9-29-2014)

Some news about the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series WINNER Decals New for 2014: Last month, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series would change its championship format to put an increased emphasis on winning each and every week. Along with the spoils of victory - including a likely spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup - the winning driver / team will receive a WINNER decal to display on their car. All NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners now will receive the decal, to be placed next to the driver's name above the door, following a victory. The first recipient will be the winner of the 56th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday.(NASCAR)(2-23-2014)

Who has been too fast on pit road? Chase drivers are among those who have been penalized the most for speeding on pit road this season. With each position critical, any extra time on pit road can cost positions. A penalty could prove devastating to a team's title hopes. No driver has won a Cup race after being penalized for speeding on pit road since Matt Kenseth did so Aug. 2013 at Bristol. Travis Kvapil has been called for speeding on pit road a series-high five times. Next with four such penalties are Chase drivers Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson along with Dave Blaney and David Ragan. Kevin Harvick, also in the Chase, has been caught speeding three times this year along with Michael Annett, Kyle Larson, Casey Mears, Joe Nemechek, Reed Sorenson, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers. Here's how Chase drivers rank in speeding penalties this season:
4 - #41-Kurt Busch, #18-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin, #48-Jimmie Johnson
3 - #4-Kevin Harvick
2 - #43-Aric Almirola, #2-Brad Keselowski
1 - #47-AJ Allmendinger, #24-Jeff Gordon, #5-Kasey Kahne, #20-Matt Kenseth, #22-Joey Logano, #31-Ryan Newman
0 - #16-Greg Biffle, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #99-Carl Edwards
(Motor Racing Network)(9-10-2014)

Some clinch scenarios at Richmond: Only #31-Ryan Newman controls his own destiny, no matter who wins at Richmond. If there is a repeat 2014 winner (or a Kenseth victory), Newman is guaranteed a spot in the Chase if he finishes 41st or better; or 42nd with at least one lap led; or 43rd and the most laps led. If there is a new winner (that is not Kenseth), Newman is guaranteed a Chase spot with a finish of 18th or better; 19th and at least one lap led; or 20th and the most laps led.
#16-Greg Biffle controls his own destiny if there is a repeat winner. If there is a repeat 2014 winner (or if Kenseth or Newman win), Biffle is guaranteed a spot in the Chase if he finishes 22nd or better; or 23rd with at least one lap led; or 24th and the most laps led. If there is a new winner (that is not Kenseth or Newman), Biffle needs to out-point Newman by 19 points and stay ahead of #15-Clint Bowyer and #42-Kyle Larson. Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson are the only other two drivers who can clinch a spot in the Chase without a victory.
The following drivers can only make the Chase with a win at Richmond (and a top-30 spot in the standings): Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danica Patrick, Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, David Gilliland, David Ragan and Cole Whitt.(NASCAR)(9-202104)

How to clinch a Chase spot at Atlanta: #15-Clint Bowyer, #16-Greg Biffle and #42-Kyle Larson are playing a high stakes musical chairs game of sorts. At the moment, Bowyer and Biffle sit in the final two seats to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with Larson standing on the outside looking in at 17th on the current Chase Grid. All three drivers need a victory to assure themselves spots in the Chase - and avoid being bumped down from their respective perches with a win by a competitor currently ranked lower. Entering this Sunday's Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta, Larson trails Biffle by a hefty 26 points for the final seed on the grid, while Biffle looms only five points behind Bowyer for the minimal breathing room afforded by the 15th spot.For the winless drivers, here are the clinch scenarios for Atlanta:
1) If there is a repeat winner, the top-three winless drivers would clinch if they are at least 45 points ahead of the fourth highest winless driver.
2) If there is a new winner at Atlanta, two winless drivers remain guaranteed to make the Chase. In this scenario, the new winner would clinch, if he/she finishes the race at least 49 points ahead of 31st. The top-two winless drivers would clinch if they are at least 45 points ahead of the third-highest winless driver.
3) #20-Matt Kenseth controls his own destiny. A seventh-place finish locks him in no matter who wins at Atlanta.(NASCAR)(8-29-2014)

Michigan Chase Clinch Scenarios UPDATE: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #2-Brad Keselowski, #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #99-Carl Edwards, #22-Joey Logano and #4-Kevin Harvick have clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining four races.
If there is a repeat 2014 winner in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, any driver with one win and a locked-up top 30 spot will clinch a spot in the Chase. Potentials: #18-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin, #43-Aric Almirola, #41-Kurt Busch and #47-AJ Allmendinger. To clinch a top 30 spot, the clinching driver must be 145 points ahead of 31st place leaving Michigan.
If there is a new winner, one-win drivers could potentially clinch a spot. But there would still be the potential for 16 different winners, and a winless points leader -- meaning a winner would be bounced from the Chase. So there are no guarantees here.
Because he is so high in the points, if #20-Matt Kenseth wins, he would clinch a spot, even though it would be his first win. Other high-ranking winless drivers could potentially clinch with a win and help.(NASCAR)(8-15-2014)UPDATE: Assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining 3 races in the regular season, the following drivers have clinched a spot for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup today: #47-AJ Allmendinger, #43-Aric Almirola, #41-Kurt Busch, #18-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin.(NASCAR)(8-17-2014)

Chase clinch scenarios at Watkins Glen: Drivers with multiple wins and who cannot fall out of the top 30 in points have clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining races. After Pocono, seven fit that category: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #2-Brad Keselowski, #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #99-Carl Edwards, #22-Joey Logano and #4-Kevin Harvick. If there is a repeat 2014 winner this weekend, any driver with one win and a locked-up top 30 spot will clinch a spot in the Chase. Potentials: #18-Kyle Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin, #43-Aric Almirola and #41-Kurt Busch.
If there is a new winner, a good bit of math will come into play post-race. Kyle Busch, the highest ranked of the one-win drivers, could potentially lock up a spot with only one win (though it would be difficult). If #20-Matt Kenseth, who has clinched a top-30 spot, wins, he could be high enough in points to clinch a spot, even though it would be his first win. The same applies to #31-Ryan Newman and #15-Clint Bowyer. For Kenseth, Newman and Bowyer, a win would clinch them if they have enough points to guarantee a points position ahead of the lowest ranked winner after Richmond. After Watkins Glen, the clinching driver must be 193 points ahead of 31st place.(NASCAR.com)(8-8-2014)

Four drivers can clinch chase spot at Pocono UPDATE: Four more drivers cleared the two toughest hurdles for entry into the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, joining #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #2-Brad Keselowski, both of whom locked up a spot on the Chase Grid at New Hampshire. At Indianapolis, #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #99-Carl Edwards and #22-Joey Logano all either scored a second win (Gordon) or clinched a top 30 points spot (Johnson, Edwards and Logano). Now, those six drivers need only to attempt to qualify for the remaining six races to "officially" earn a spot in the Chase. As a reminder, any driver with multiple wins guarantees himself a spot in the top 15 winners (or top 16, if the points leader after race No. 26 has a win). Any driver who left Indy with a 289 point lead on 31st place clinched a top 30 points spot. Now, the series heads to Pocono Raceway, where four more drivers have a chance to clinch a spot in the Chase. This weekend, the magic number is 241 - any driver 241 points ahead of 31st place clinches a top 30 spot. If a driver does that, and has multiple wins, he clinches a spot. Those who can do it this weekend: #4-Kevin Harvick, #11-Denny Hamlin, #18-Kyle Busch and #43-Aric Almirola. Harvick's two wins mean he needs only to clinch a top 30 spot - a near certainty, as he needs to score only eight points at Pocono to do so (and that's if 31st place David Gilliland wins and leads the most laps). Busch has clinched a top 30 spot, but needs another win to clinch. Hamlin has yet to clinch a top 30 spot. He would clinch with a win and some help.
Almirola would need to win this weekend to clinch, and get a good bit of help to also lock up a top 30 spot.(NASCAR)(7-31-2014)UPDATE: #4-Harvick's second place finish gave him a 296 point lead over 31st place #38-Gilliland. Harvick was the only driver to officially clich a Chase spot at Pocono.(8-4-2014)

Chase drivers can't tire test at Homestead: NASCAR will not allow championship-eligible drivers to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But, to ensure fairness, NASCAR will allow all organizations represented in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship to participate in the Aug. 26 test because Homestead is the site of the title-deciding season finale. Teams will have to send a driver not qualified for the Chase to the tire test. The restrictions create a dilemma for Team Penske, which has both #2-Brad Keselowski and #22-Joey Logano already qualified for the Chase. The two-car team does not have another Sprint Cup driver on its roster. Hendrick Motorsports also has three of its four drivers qualified. Should #5-Kasey Kahne qualify for the Chase, Hendrick would have to look outside its immediate organization for a substitute.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(7-30-2014)

Chase Grid Clinch Update: Those drivers with multiple wins and who cannot fall out of the top 30 in points have clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining races. As was announced after the race in New Hampshire, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski have clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining seven races. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth have clinched a top 30 spot, but do not have multiple wins. At Indianapolis, the following drivers can clinch a Chase spot with a win or by clinching a top 30 spot: Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. The magic number for a top 30 clinch: 289. Any driver 289 points ahead of 31st place leaving Indy will clinch a top 30 points position.(NASCAR)(7-27-2014)

Earnhardt Jr. and Keselowski clinch Chase spot: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #2-Brad Keselowski have clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaining seven races in the regular season. Both Earnhardt and Keselowski have fulfilled two of the three requirements to guarantee their spot in the Chase - multiple wins and locking in to the top 30 in points. With Keselowski's third win of the season this past weekend he could be seeded first in the Chase - each win is worth three Chase bonus points. A number of other drivers can join Earnhardt and Keselowski as Chase clinchers. #24-Jeff Gordon has already clinched a top 30 spot, but with a single win has yet to clinch the "wins" portion of the criteria. A win at Indy would clinch him a spot. To clinch a top 30 spot, the clinching driver must be 289 points ahead of 31st place after Indianapolis.(NASCAR Wire Service)(7-15-2014)

How to Clinch a Chase Spot at NHMS: Any driver with multiple victories who leaves New Hampshire Motor Speedway 337 points ahead of 31st in the points will clinch a spot in the Chase. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. enters the weekend with a 368-point lead on 31st in the standings and should clinch a Chase spot unless he has a bad day. #48-Jimmie Johnson has a 340-point lead on 31st, so if he maintains that - or loses no more than three points on 31st in the point standings, he would clinch a Chase spot. #2-Brad Keselowski has a 330-point lead on 31st in the point standings and could clinch a Chase spot by topping the 337-point threshold. Points leader #24-Jeff Gordon would clinch a spot with his second victory of the season.(Motor Racing Network)(7-12-2014)MORE: The magic number to clinch a top 30 spot is 337; any driver 337 points ahead of 31st place will clinch a regular season top 30 spot. The following drivers can both clinch a top 30 spot AND have multiple wins, and therefore accomplish two of the three criteria for locking up a Chase spot: #24-Jeff Gordon (with a win), #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #48-Jimmie Johnson, #2-Brad Keselowski and #22-Joey Logano. Gordon has already clinched a top 30 spot. The third criterion to earn a Chase spot is attempting to qualify for every race.(NASCAR)(7-13-2014)

The RULES for the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR's new Chase structure places a premium on winning: The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the Chase - provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race. Should there be 16 or more different winners during the first 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase spot would be the points leader after 26 races.

Brian France: no changes planned to the Chase in 2015: NASCAR Chairman Brian France was a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Tuesday, December 9th with SiriusXM Speedway hosts Dave Moody and Angie Skinner. One question concerned the 2015 Chase rules:Dave Moody: "Do you anticipate any changes or tweaks or massaging of the Chase format for next year?"Brian France: "No, I don't. We're obviously pleased with everything. And there may be some adjustments down the road. They'll be very small. Nothing, for '15, nothing anybody would notice. But if we can make an already great thing better we will always look at that but we are very content that we have the right positioning of elevating the drivers to have moments as I just described, and then also balancing this whole thing in auto racing, which is very difficult to balance, which is how do you balance winning and consistency? And they don't necessarily always go together. And how do you have any kind of a championship run that represents that? I think we've done the best job that we think we can do to balance that."
In the interview (which lasted about 15 minutes) France also talks about;
- The elevation of competition.
- Kevin Harvick pulled him aside in Las Vegas and said he wasn't a big fan of the new format when it was announced but once they got into it, it made them dig up talent and effort they never thought possible.
- The prospect of having a winless champion. Would not have bothered them at all if Newman won.
- Truck and Xfinity series formats - Will look at it in offseason. Doesn't anticipate a big change.
- Bubba Wallace - As puzzled as anybody else that he has trouble attracting sponsorships, tells you the market is difficult. What NASCAR does to help.
- Drop in gas prices is a welcomed development, hopes it stays that way.
- Building on the momentum for 2015.(link to interview at SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)(12-10-2014)

NASCAR Introduces Special Paint Scheme Elements For Chase Contenders: Celebrating the accomplishments of those drivers who will contend for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, NASCAR has released several new elements to the paint schemes of race cars making the 16-driver Chase Grid.
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup-eligible cars will have the roof number, the front splitter / front fascia and the windshield header colored yellow, as well as have a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup logo affixed to the front-quarter panel of their race car.
As part of NASCAR's emphasis on winning races all season long, this celebratory paint scheme will be placed on a driver's car to begin the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 14. Once a driver is eliminated after one of the Chase's first three rounds, the paint scheme will be removed from the car.
These changes serve as a visible symbol of the new Chase format. In addition, the paint scheme elements will ensure that fans are able to easily identify each championship contender as NASCAR's playoffs progress. Announced by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France in January, the new championship format expands the Chase field to 16 drivers, up from 12 in previous years, and implements a new round-by-round advancement format that ultimately will reward a battle-tested, worthy champion. A victory in the first 26 races all but guarantees a berth in the 10-race Chase, which will air exclusively on the ESPN family of networks. The number of championship drivers in contention for the championship decreases after every three Chase races, culminating with four drivers racing for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, scheduled for November 16.(NASCAR)(7-15-2014)

NASCAR Announces Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Format Change: NASCAR announced a new championship format today that will put greater emphasis on winning races all season long, expands the current Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field to 16 drivers, and implements a new round-by-round advancement format that ultimately will reward a battle-tested, worthy champion. "We have arrived at a format that makes every race matter even more, diminishes points racing, puts a premium on winning races and concludes with a best-of-the-best, first-to-the-finish line showdown race - all of which is exactly what fans want," said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. "We have looked at a number of concepts for the last three years through fan research, models and simulations, and also maintained extensive dialogue with our drivers, teams and partners. The new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be thrilling, easy to understand and help drive our sport's competition to a whole new level."

Changes announced by France to the championship format include:
- A victory in the first 26 races all but guarantees a berth in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup - a change that will put an unprecedented importance on winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race all season long
- Expanding the Chase field from 12 to 16 drivers, with those drivers advancing to what now will be known as the NASCAR Chase Grid
- The number of championship drivers in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship will decrease after every three Chase races, from 16 to start in the Chase Grid; 12 after Chase race #3; eight after Chase race #6; and four after Chase race #9
- The first three races of the Chase (27-29) will be known as the Challenger Round
- Races 30-32 will be known as the Contender Round
- Races 33-35 will be the Eliminator Round and race #36 will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship
- A win by a championship-eligible driver in any Chase race automatically clinches the winning driver a spot in the next Chase round
- Four drivers will enter the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship with a chance at the title, with the highest finisher among those four capturing the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Eligibility for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase Grid - provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race #26, if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase Grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase Grid positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points. If there are 16 or more winners in the first 26 races, the ties will first be broken by number of wins, followed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points.

As was implemented in 2011, prior to the start of the Chase, all Chase Grid drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26 races.

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Structure After the third Chase race, the Chase Grid will be left with 12 drivers. After the sixth Chase race, the field will drop to eight drivers, and following the ninth Chase race, only four drivers will remain in championship contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.The first round (races 27-29) will be called the Challenger Round. If a driver in the Chase Grid wins a Challenger Round race, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions 1-12 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each will then have their points reset to 3,000.The second round (races 30-32) will be called the Contender Round. Likewise, if a driver in the top 12 in points wins a race in the Contender Round, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions 1-8 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each will then have their points reset to 4,000.The third round (races 33-35) will be called the Eliminator Round. If a driver in the top eight in points wins a race in the Eliminator Round, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions 1-4 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each will then have their points reset to 5,000.
Additionally, drivers who are eliminated in the Contender and Eliminator Rounds will have their points readjusted. Each eliminated driver will return to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (plus any regular season wins bonus points), with their accumulated points starting with race #27 added. This will allow all drivers not in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title to continue to race for the best possible season-long standing, with final positions fifth-through-16th still up for grabs.Four Drivers, First-to-the-Finish Championship Finale The 36th and final race of the season will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Simply stated, the highest finisher in that race among the remaining four eligible drivers will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Bonus points for laps led will not apply in the season finale, so the official finishing position alone will decide the champion.
All rules outlined above also apply to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner championship structure.(NASCAR)(1-30-2014)

Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Format Change FAQ: NASCAR Q&A about the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup:Q. Does this new Chase format emphasize winning?
A. Absolutely. The easiest way to make the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is to win. And winning is also the fastest way to advance in the Chase and become one of the four drivers competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Q. How will the Chase Grid drivers be selected?
A. Positions 1-16 on the Chase Grid will be determined by the drivers with the greatest number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins after the first 26 races. However, the 16th position is reserved for the points leader if he/she does not have a win.Q. How will the Chase Grid be seeded?
A. All drivers will have their points total reset to 2,000 points. Drivers receive 3 additional bonus points for each win during the fir st 26 races.Q. Is there a minimum points standing that a driver who records a win during the first 26 races must achieve to make the Chase Grid?
A. Yes. A driver must be in the Top 30 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points following the first 26 races AND have attempted to qualify for all of the first 26 races.Q. What if a driver is prevented from competing in one or more of the first 26 races due to injury or illness?
A. NASCAR, for rare instances, can waive the requirement of attempting to qualify for all of the first 26 races as long as the driver is in the Top 30 in points.Q. Which races are the advancement races?
A. Once the field is reset after the 26th event, there are advancement races following the 29th event (Dover); 32nd event (Talladega); and 35th event (Phoenix). There will be four drivers competing for the Sprint Cup Championship at Homestead.Q. Will lap leader bonus points still be applied?
A. In all but the final race, bonus points for laps led still will be awarded in the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator Rounds. However, at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, the four drivers will start the race tied and there will be no bonus points .for laps led, etc. The highest finisher among that group will be the champion.Q. What happens to a Chase Grid driver's points if he/she doesn't advance to the next round?
A. Drivers who don't advance to the next round will have their point totals reset to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (with any regular-season wins bonus points), plus the additional points they've earned during the Chase.(NASCAR)(1-30-2014)

New points system, Earnhardt Jr. would had won championship in 2013: In announcing major changes to the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Thursday, NASCAR chairman Brian France touted an emphasis on winning as a primary reason behind the format. But it turns out last year's champion, if the new rules were applied, would have been #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., who didn't win a race. According to economist Andrew Maness, who runs the nascarnomics.com site, Earnhardt would have made the final race along with Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. NASCAR's Mike Forde confirmed the lineup. The driver who won the most races last season, Matt Kenseth with seven, would not have been eligible for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(USA Today)(1-31-2014)

Some 2014 Chase News, Notes and Facts

Only four drivers made up points deficit in finale: Since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975, only four drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip), Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison), Jimmie Johnson in 2010 (made up 15 points on Denny Hamlin) and Tony Stewart in 2011 (made up three points on Carl Edwards). Note: Stewart's comeback is the only one made under the current one-point-per-position structure.(NASCAR)(11-17-2013)

Four drivers have raced into the Chase: Four drivers have come from outside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cut-off to make the Chase at Richmond in the previous championship format 2004-2013]:
· Jeremy Mayfield in 2004 made up a 55-point deficit
· Ryan Newman in 2005 made up a one-point deficit
· Kasey Kahne in 2006 made up a 30-point deficit
· Brian Vickers in 2009 made up a 20-point deficit
(all using the old point system)
· Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin are the two drivers that clinched the Wild Card in 2011 to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Keselowski was 11th in points with three wins; Hamlin was12th in points with one win.
· Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon are the two drivers that clinched the Wild Card in 2012 to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kahne was 11th in points with two wins; Gordon was 12th in points with one win.
· Due to a rare instance in the final race of the regular season that resulted in penalties being issued; a 13th car (Jeff Gordon's #24) was added to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.(NASCAR)